Tack-handling mechanism



F. W. TAYLOR.

TACK HANDLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-12.1920.

1,425,553. Patented-Au 15, 1922.

uNiran srArEs PATET orrica.

SHOE MACHINERY conrone'rroiv, or ra'rnason,

TION OF NEW EBSEY.

NE'W. JERSEY, A CORPORA- raox-na vnrme MECHANISM- specification New w nt. Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

Application filed November 12, 1920. Serial Nol 423,522.

T 0 aZZacizom-t may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnnnnnrcn 3V. TAY- LOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salisbury, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Tack-Handling Mechainsm, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying draw ings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to tack handling mechanism and particularly to tack separating mechanism and is herein shown, for the purpose of exemplification, as embodied 1n a tack separating mechanism for a lasting machine of the hand method type such as that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 584.744, granted June 15, 1897 upon application of Ladd and HcFeely, such machines being now usually equipped with tack separating mechanism such as that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,030,315, granted June 25, 1912 upon application of Ronald F. McFeely.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved tack separating mechanism of the type disclosed i the last-mentioned patent by which separation of a tack at each operation of the separating mechanism is insured.

In the prior construction the separator comprises 'a block arranged to slide transversely of the end of the raceway from which tacks are being separated which block carries a separator blade adapted to enter the space between'the lowermost tack in the raceway and the next tack at a point just beneath the tack head. As the blade moves across the raceway it causes the lowermost tack to move along the slot toward an opening through which the tack head finally drops. While separating mechanism of this kind has been in successful commercial use for many years it sometimes fails to separate a tack and particularly when long tacks are being used the stem of the tack sometimes lags behind as its upper end is moved'into the separator, causing the point or stem of the tack to be caught between the wall of the raceway and the separator block.

A feature of the present invention consists in an organization including a raceway and a tack separating blade, together with means arranged to enter the space between the tack being separated and the next tack in the raceway and'to move toward' the point of the separated tack to cause the stem of the tack to swing toward the separator blade. As herein shown said means'consists of a thin blade or finger pivoted to the block and so arranged that by 10Vementof the block the end of thefinger is caused ,to i

enter behind the lowermost tack after its movement into the separator block has been initiated by the blade, the finger being then moved relatively to the block and lengthwise'of the tack tocause the tack stem to be swung toward the block and insuring lasting machine embodying the present in vention Fig. 2 is a plan view showing themecha nism for operating the separator block;

.F 1g. 1s an elevation of the separator and gate finger from the inner side showing the gate finger and separator in retracted posiv tion; and I Fig. dis a perspective view of the separator and gate finger in advanced position.

The machine, in which the present invention is shown as embodied for t o purpose,

of explanation, isprovided with a shoe rest 2 against which the bottom of the shoe is held'b'y the operator; an edge gage it te determine the lateral position of the shoe a gripper 6 for working the upper into lasted position; a combined tack block and, wiper 8 which is reciprocated to ipe the lasted upper against the shoe bottom; and a driver 10 by which the tack presented underit by the tack block is driven into the shoe.

The machine is provided with two race i ways 12, it by which tacks are conducted to the separating point, one raceway containing short tacks and the other long tacks, and means usual in machines of this type is provided for shifting the raceways to present eitherraceway in operative relation to the separator to cause tacks to be separated therefrom.

A separator block 16 is mounted for reciprocation transversely of the raceways in a stationary member 18 to which is attached a plate 20 to support the block. On the up per face of the block 16 is secured a separator blade 22 having the usual separating point 23 and curved slot 24 terminating in an enlargementto permit the headof the tack to drop, after separation, through a passage 26 formed in the member .18 and into a tack pocket provided in the wiper 8. Over the plate 22 a retaining plate 28 is arranged which is attached by screws 30, 32to the member 18, the plate 28 having a notch 34 and a hole 36, the notch permittlng "the tack to advance to the'hole'36 which is in alinement with the passage 26.

The mechanism for reciprocating the.

block 16 comprisesa rack 38 on the block .16

which is engaged by segment teeth 40 on a lever 42 having a fixed pivot at 44 and a rearwardly projecting arm 45. Another lever 46is also pivoted at 44 and has a surface 47 engaged by an adjusting screw 48 in the lever 42. In thelever 46 1s mounted a' springplunger 50 hearing on the rearwardly extending arm 45 of the lever 42. The lever 46 carries a roll 52 whichisengaged by a cam surface 54. formed on a reciprocating slide 56 on which the tack block 8 .is mounted. p

The lever 46, beyondthe roll 52, has an eX- tension 58 having a hole 1 which receives loosely a pin 60 on a fixed support 62. On the pin 60 is a helical spring 64 abutting at one end against the support 62 and at the other end bearing on the extension 58. When the slide 56 is moved forwardly (to the left in Fig. 2) the cam 54 acts on the roll 52to move the lever 46 on its pivot 44 against the spring 64. The lever 46, by contact of the plunger 50 with. the arm 45, moves the lever 42 yieldingly in thesame direction on the same pivot 44 andcauses the 'separator block 16to be retractech the levers 42, 46 then acting a single lever of the first class with. however, a capacity for yieldingby reason of the provision of the I plunger 50in case retractive movement of the separator block 16 shouldhbe interfered with. Movement of thelevers 42, 46 in the opposite directionto effect yieldingly the tack separatingmovement of the separator,

is causedby reaction of the spring 64 when the cam 54 onthe slide 56 is retracted.

When the blockz16is moved in tackseparating direction the pointi23 of? the'blade 22 enters behind the lowermost tack in that one the two raceways, 12, 14. which is posij. tionedin operative relation to it and moves the heatlportion of the tack toward the passage 26. During this movement ofthe tack,

'howeveiy'the shank and point portions may lag behind the head.

It is hence desirable to provide means movable relatively to the block 16 and preterably at a higher rate to engage the tack below its head and swing it into the passage 26. Asshown herein this means comprises a gate finger formed as an angle lever con sisting of an arm forming the gate finger proper and an operating arm'72. The angle lever is pivoted at 74 to the block 16 and the arm 72 extends through a slot 76 in the supportingplate 20 which is, of course, relatively stationary. The slot76 is preferably longer than the width of the arm. 7 2 to providelost motion. When the block 16 is retracted, as shown in Fig. 3, the arm 7 2 engages one end of the slot 7 6, causing the gate finger 70 to assume the position there shown. Nhen the block 16 advances in its tack sepa rating movement the finger 70 remains relatively at rest until the lost motion in the slot. 76 istaken up, at which time the point of the finger 7O is'adjacent to the tack the head port on of which is just entering the passage 26. During the remainder of the Inovementof the block 16 thefinger 70 has an advancing movement derived from move ment of the block 16 and a downward move- ,menttoward the? point of the tack due to that at which the block 16 is moving and acts to swingthe shank and point of the tack into the passage 26. The blade also acts to push back the shank and pointof the next tack in the raceway and serves as a gate to close the passage 22 against entrance of the next ta k (Fig.4) .until the blade 16,

is retracted preparatory to separating the nexttack. ,1 During retraetive movement of the block 16 the gatefinger 70, because of the lostmotion'of the arm 72 in the slot 76, remains in positiontoclose the passage 22 until the block 16* has beenpartially retracted and is thenu'eturned to normal position, as

shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as'new and desire to secure by Let-.

ters Patent of the United States is:

1'. In a mechanismof the class described, the combination with a raceway, a reciprocating block, 'andia taok separating blade, of

means movable relatively to the blockto engage and move the stem of the tack being separated away from the raceway.

211i a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a raceway, a reciproeating block, and a tack separating blade, of

means engaging behind the tack being separated and arranged to move toward the point of the tack to assist in the separation of the tack.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a raceway, a reciprocatin block, and a tack separating blade, of means movable relatively to the separator and operated by movement of the separator for moving the tack stem out of the raceway and into the tack block.

i. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a raceway, a reciprocating block, and a tack separating blade, of a finger pivoted to the block, and means for swinging the finger to facilitate separation of the tack.

5. In a tack handling mechanism, the combination of a raceway, means engaging the head portion of the lowermost tack in the raceway to initiate separation of a tack from the tacks in the raceway, and means arranged to enter behind the tack and to move toward the tack point to swing the tack awa from the tacks in the raceway.

6. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a raceway, a reciprocating block, and a tack separating blade, of a member pivoted to the block and having a finger to engage behind the tack near its head and having also a projection arranged to be held from movement as the block is moved to cause the finger to swing toward the point of the tack.

7. In a tack handling mechanism, the combination of a raceway, means engaging the head portion of the lowermost tack in the raceway to initiate separation from the tacks in the raceway, and means engaging the stem and point portion of the tack to complete the separation, said means having a higher rate of movement than the head portion engaging means.

8. In a tack handlin mechanism, the combination of a raceway, means engaging the head portion of the lowermost tack in the raceway to initiate separation from the tacks in the raceway, and means arranged to enter behind the tack being separated and to have a movement toward the point of the tack to complete the separation of the tack.

9. In a tack handling mechanism, the combination of a raceway, means engaging the head portion of the lowermost tack in the raceway to initiate separation from the tacks in the raceway, and means arranged to enter behind the tack being separated and to have a compound movement.

10. In a tack handling mechanism, the combination of a raceway, means engaging the head portion of the lowermost tack in the raceway to initiate separation from the tacks in the raceway, and means arranged to enter behind the tack and to have a component of movement toward the tack point.

11. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a raceway, a reciprocating block, and a tack separating blade, of means operated by movement of the block and in a different direction to effect movement of the tack stem toward the block after movement of the head of the tack into the block has been initiated.

12. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a raceway, a gate finger, means to move the gate finger transversely of the tack, and means to move the gate finger toward the point of the tack to complete separation of the tack from the tacks in the raceway and to push back the tacks in the raceway.

13. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a member having a pas sage through which separated tacks are to drop, a separator blade arranged to engage a tack just beneath its head and to advance it into said passage, and means movable toward the tack point to complete movement of the tack into said passage.

14:. In a tack handling mechanism, the combination of a raceway, means engaging the head portion of the lowermost tack in the raceway to initiate separation from the tacks in the raceway, and means arranged to enter behind the tack being separated and to have a compound movement including movement in a direction transverse to the tack and in a direction lengthwise of the tack.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK W. TAYLOR. 

